Automatic control means used in the filling of containers



Aug. 4, 1964 J. FAISANDIER 3,143,179

AUTOMATIC CONTROL MEANS USED IN THE FILLING 0F CONTAINERS Filed Oct. 10.1960 lizzvezzior Faisazz/d ber United States Patent 3,143,179 AUTOMATICCONTROL MEANS USED IN THE FILLING 0F CONTAINERS Jacques Faisandier, 32Blvd. Felix Faure, Chatillon-sous-Bagneux, France Filed Oct. 10, 1960,Ser. No. 61,751 v Claims priority, applicationFrance Oct. 15, 1959 6Claims. (Cl. :177120) This invention relates to the filling of acontainer with a liquid or gaseous fluid, the flow of which iscontrolled by a valve, the latter being adapted to cause a break in thecontinuity of flow automatically as soon as the contents have reached acertain weight.

One object of the invention is to achieve this result whatever thefilling time or, which amounts to the same thing, whatever theconditions, in particular the pressure conditions, upstream the valve.

With this object in view, the invention uses a .servocontrol causing anopening of the valve proportional to the difference between the weightto be obtained and the instantaneous weight.

According to apreferred embodiment, the container is placed during thefilling operation on a balance or the like and one detects, by means ofa hydraulic servocontrol device and without any appreciable resistantforce, the position of the balance-beam, the movement of which isamplified, the said servo-control device causing the progressive closingof the valve as a function of the position reached by the balance-beam,complete closure being obtained as soon as the balance-beam reaches anextreme position corresponding to the predetermined weight which is tobe obtained for the contents.

Another object of the invention is that the valve should be acted ononly during the last fraction of fillings, so as not to reduce theduration of the latter substantially.

One embodiment of the invention will be described hereunder, withreference to the accompanying drawings, although it is not intended torestrict the scope of the invention to or by the specific feature orfeatures of the example chosen for illustration.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a diagram of the complete installation.

FIGURE 2 shows in diagrammatic cross-section the force amplifyingservo-control.

On the pan 1 of a balance there is disposed the container 2, the fillingof which is controlled by the valve 3 in series on a supply pipe 4,bringing the fluid from any source or tank.

The movement of the pan 1 is transmitted to the vertical balance-beam 5by any mechanical transmission means known in the art, showndiagrammatically at 6, or by any equivalent means.

The movement of the balance-beam 5 is amplified by the force-amplifyingservo-control, shown in FIGURE 1 by a simple rectangle 7 in dottedlines, and shown in details in FIGURE 2.

The output movement at 8 is transmitted by a system of rods 38 or aflexible shaft or any equivalent transmission means to the valve 3.

In FIGURE 2 there are shown again the balancebeam 5 and the rod 8, whichtransmits the output movement, this rod being integral with the piston 9of the cylinder 10. To this cylinder is joined the usual valvedistributor 11, the slide-valve of which is constituted by a doublepiston, defining an intermediate chamber in permanent communication,through the pipe 12, with the source of pressure, constituted here bythe tank 13 and the pump 14 (FIGURE 1). The end faces of the slide-valve11 are in communication with the tank 13 through the pipes 15, 16, andthe pipe 17 and the filter 18 (FIGURE 1). A safety valve 19 is providedin by-pass between the supply and return pipes.

The slide-valve is subjected to the action of a spring .20 and theposition of the slide-valve in such that, in its neutral position, thetwo pipes 21, 22 which, according to the movements of the slide-valve,supply the cylinder or put 'it in communication with the tank, areobturated by the pistons of the slide-valve.

The transmission of'the balance-beam movement to the slide-valve 11 ofthe distributor is effected as follows:

The balance-beam 5 carries a bracket 23, on which is mounted a headedscrew 24, and adjustable height of which is maintained by a nut 25. Thisscrew is regulated so that its head comes to bear, but only after a ofthe total travel, on the heel 26 of a balance-beam or floating lever 27,articulated at 28 to a rod 29 integral with the piston9 of the cylinder.30 is a balancing counter-weight. The movement of the balance-beam 27 istransmitted 'to a "second balance-beam 31 by a centre knife-edge 32. Thebalance-beam 31 also rests on a fixed knife-edge 33 and transmits itsmovement via a knife-edge 34 in a cup 35 of which rests the point of arod 36 integral with the slide-valve 11. At 37 is provided a leakagereturn.

Operation is as follows:

Slide valve being supposed in the neutral position represented, pipes 21and 22 being closed by the lands of the slide-valve, as represented ifnow the balance-beam 5 rises, it comes to bear on the heel 26. Thearticulation 28 acting temporary as a fixed point, the levers 27 and 31rotate clockwise, rod 36 is raised and hence the slide-valve 11 israised, and with pressure being admitted to the cylinder by the pipe 21whilst the pipe 22 is put in communication with the tank, the piston 9and rod 29 descends; the feed back movement is transmitted through thebalance-beams 27 and 31, and causes the slide-valve to return in saidneutral position and obturate 21, 22, thus stopping the movement. But asin reality the rising movement of the balance-beam 5 is continuous, theoutput movement at 8 is progressive and follows step by step, takinginto account the amplification, the rising movement of the balance-beam5, and does not stop until the moment the end of the balance-beam 5reaches a predetermined height, corresponding to filling of thecontainer.

When the container is removed from the balance, the lowering movement ofthe balance-beam 5 allows the slide-valve 11 to be lowered, under theaction of the spring 20, which puts the pipe 22 under pressure andcauses re-ascending of the piston 9, the movement of which is subject tothe movement of the balance-beam 5 for the same reasons given above.

By way of indication only it is pointed out that with a total travel ofthe balance-beam of 40 mm. during complete filling, hence a travel of 4mm. for the control of the valve, the device allows an output travel of20 mm. with a force of 150 kg. for a pressure of 20 kg/cm. supplied bythe pump. Precision is 1/500, viz grammes for total weight of 50 kg .ofcontents. The associated time constant of the servo-control device is0.7 second.

What I claim is:

1. In an apparatus for automatically delivering to a container an amountof material to satisfy a predetermined weight limit, in combination ascale support adapted to receive a container, material feeding meanspositioned to discharge material into said container, first balancingmeans supporting said support for vertical displacement by the weight ofsaid container and of the material discharge into said container, asecond balancing means actuated by said first balancing means, ahydraulic servo-control mechanism including a valve distributorincluding a slide valve, and a piston-type jack responsive to themovements of said slide valve, said slide valve and said piston-typejack being operatively connected to said second balancing means, controlmeans :for' said feeding means operable by said jack, whereby the rateofdischarge into the container is reduced as the container is filled,and discharge into the container is stopped accurately when thepredetermined weight of 'material has been discharged into thecontainer.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, in which said second balancingmeans includes a floating lever device responsive to the movements ofsaid first balancing means and responsive to the movements of the pistonof the jack, and is operatively connected to said slide valve,

so that motion of said slide '-valve is proportional to the algebraicsum of the movements of said first balancing means and said piston.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 2, in which said floating leverdevice is disposed at an adjustable distance from said first balancingmeans, whereby a dead stroke is provided so that the servo-controlmechanism is only operative during the last portion of the fillingprocess.

and said balance beam, and between said balance beam and said slidevalve.

"6. An apparatus for automatically delivering to a container an amountof material to satisfy a predetermined weight limit, in combination ascale support adapted to receive a container, material feeding meanspositioned to discharge material into said container, balancing meanssupporting said support for vertical displacement pro portional to thechange of weight of said container and the material discharged into saidcontainer, servo-control means operatively engaged by said balancingmeans during the latter part of said discharge from said feeding means,said servo-control means receiving the output movement of said balancingmeans as an input movement proportional to the diflerence between theweight to be obtained and the instantaneous weight of the material thathas been delivered, said servo-control means being adapted to amplifysaid input movement and to provide an'amplified output movementproportional to the movement of said input movement, whereby saidcontrol means for said feeding means is operated by the output movementof said mechanism.

References Cited in the file of this patent Great Britain Sept. 29, 1954

6. AN APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY DELIVERING TO A CONTAINER AN AMOUNT OFMATERIAL TO SATISFY A PREDETERMINED WEIGHT LIMIT, IN COMBINATION A SCALESUPPORT ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A CONTAINER, MATERIAL FEEDING MEANSPOSITIONED TO DISCHARGE MATERIAL INTO SAID CONTAINER, BALANCING MEANSSUPPORTING SAID SUPPORT FOR VERTICAL DISPLACEMENT PROPORTIONAL TO THECHANGE OF WEIGHT OF SAID CONTAINER AND THE MATERIAL DISCHARGED INTO SAIDCONTAINER, SERVO-CONTROL MEANS OPERATIVELY ENGAGED BY SAID BALANCINGMEANS DURING THE LATTER PART OF SAID DISCHARGE FROM SAID FEEDING MEANS,SAID SERVO-CONTROL MEANS RECEIVING THE OUTPUT MOVEMENT OF SAID BALANCINGMEANS AS AN INPUT MOVEMENT PROPORTIONAL TO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEWEIGHT TO BE OBTAINED AND THE INSTANTANEOUS WEIGHT OF THE MATERIAL THATHAS BEEN DELIVERED, SAID SERVO-CONTROL MEANS BEING ADAPTED TO AMPLIFYSAID INPUT MOVEMENT AND TO PROVIDE AN AMPLIFIED OUTPUT MOVEMENTPROPORTIONAL TO THE MOVEMENT OF SAID INPUT MOVEMENT, WHEREBY SAIDCONTROL MEANS FOR SAID FEEDING MEANS IS OPERATED BY THE OUTPUT MOVEMENTOF SAID MECHANISM.